AN: I own nothing. I'm going for a longer chapter here guys, so I've promised myself I'm not going to stop until I have 5-10 pages. OK? Tell me what you think....
Max POV:
Why does everything always happen to me? I was walking home, minding my own business. Nudge had stayed after school for some kind of cheerleader tryouts, and Iggy decided he wanted to see what the lacrosse team was about. I left them the car. I know, I know, Ig's not old enough to drive, but it's only a few miles, plus I figured it would be good thinking time. I was, however, proved wrong when, as I was turning a corner, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. So I turned around, to see what it was, and learned the true meaning of that saying 'Curiosity killed the cat.' meant.
Standing in the alley behind me, was a...thing. It was shaped like a horse, but it's eyes were freakishly human. And when it saw me looking at it, it smiled, showing-oh, I don't know, about a thousand!-small, black, sharp teeth. Then I did something so completely unlike me; I screeched like a banshee. I know! I was shocked too, but I couldn't help it, the thing was looking at me...hungrily, and I could-almost too well-imagine it's teeth cutting into my skin.
Then, as if the Fates decided to laugh at me, Fang was there, right net to me, staring at the thing in revulsion, horror, and though he hid it well, fear. "What the hell is that thing?!" he said his eyes growing wide.
"How should I know? How'd you even get here?" I asked him.
As he opened his mouth to answer, the monster let out a purr. It was filled with so much blood lust, and it was just a purr, I didn't want to hear a full on growl. It turned it's eyes from me to Fang, and it's eyes looked like a five year old who woke up on Christmas expecting to get socks, and have to settle, only to find a bike under the tree. Then it pounced.
Luckily, Fang was pretty fast, and he shot to the left, the thing just passing him. I looked around franticly for something-anything-that could be used as a weapon. I saw a rusted old pipe on the far side of the alley, and ran to it. Then I felt hooves on my back, and the thing had me pinned to the ground, it's teeth an inch from my throat, the pipe just out of reach. This is it, I thought This is how I'm going to die, and I don't even know why....
Then the thing let out a yelp that sounded more like a dog than any sound a horse would make, and flew sideways. I quickly stood up, to see Fang standing there, a plank of wood-god knows where he go it from-in his hands. I nodded a quick thanks and grabbed the rusted pipe I had been aiming for.
The thing now turned on Fang. It growled and I was right-I didn't want to hear it. If hate and murder were sounds, they would have sounded like that. The only fear Fang showed was that his face was about...bone white. Other than that, he seemed to be holding his ground on sanity, and that was the only thing that kept me from going crazy. The thing lunged at Fang, but Fang held up his plank of wood, and smacked it backwards as I swung my metal pipe and hit it square in the face.
But, unfortunately, now it seemed more preoccupied with Fang than me, meaning that I was no distraction at all, and just stood up, and started going towards Fang again. I don't know why the thing wanted to get Fang more than me, and I honestly couldn't care. Normally I would have said something like "See you sucker!" and ran out of there. But something held me back, kept me in the alley. I couldn't just leave Fang there to fend for himself, so as the thing turned it's back to me to focus of Fang, I ran up behind it, and shoved the ragged end of my pipe into the center of the things back.
At first I thought-with some horror-that it wouldn't make a difference, and it would still be alive. But then the thing froze. And in a cloud of black smoke, disappeared, leaving only paw prints in the dirt to prove it had ever existed at all.
And because my day was going so well, I one of the most embarrassing things I've ever done; I fell to my knees, put my face into my hands, and sobbed like there was no tomorrow. Then I felt strong arms wrap around me, and I tensed. I peeked between my fingers to see Fang. He looked like he didn't know how he had gotten there: kneeling next to me, with his arms around me, and my head on his chest, but for whatever reason-I had stopped thinking anything was impossible by this point-I was glad he was there, and I put my face on his chest, and continued crying, getting his shirt all wet.
I don't know how long I cried. All I know is that it was a long time because my knees were starting to really hurt, and that Fang had stayed silent the whole time, just holding me. My sobs quieted, and I turned my face to look up at him, "Sorry," I muttered, wiping my eyes, and standing.
"It's OK." Fang said as he, too, stood.
I was getting myself together, and whatever 'moment' we had just had, it was gone, and I was back to my old self. "What are you doing here?" I snapped.
Fang looked taken aback for a second, as if wondering where the snappy attitude had come from, before saying, "Well, I was following you-" he started before I interrupted him.
"Following me?!" I shrieked at him, completely flattered, and I hated that feeling, so I turned it into anger to stomp it down.
Fang sighed, "Well, I had a feeling you were in danger, so I followed you, and I guess I was right." he said.
"What made you think I was in danger?" I asked him suspisiously.
"I...I had a dream." he responded. I gasped. This reminded me of my dream.
"What was it about?" I demanded.
"I'm not going to tell you." Fang said as if it should be obvious.
"Fang tell me, or so help me I will-" I started before he cut me off.
"Or you'll what? Max, you're already avoiding me. I don't really know what else you could do. I don't hurt easily, I'm good in a fight, I'm not afraid of my parents, I only respect them, and I have nothing for you to use as blackmail. So tell me Max, why should I tell you?" he asked in an almost...smug tone. WTH does he have to be smug about?
"Fang...just tell me about the damn dream. If you do I'll...I'll tell you about mine." I said. Wait, did I really say that? How stupid am I? Wait, don't answer that....
"Fine," Fang said, and he told her about the dream.
"This only proves why I should avoid you. You'll get me killed, and it follows the pattern of my dream." I said, then I told him about my dream.
Fang's eyes had widened by the time I was finished. "See?" I said, "I should stay away from you."
"But...I would never hurt you Max." Fang said. His eyes begging me to understand, the most emotion I've ever seen in him.
"Why? You hardly know me, what's to stop you?" I asked harshly.
Immediately all the walls were back up, and I almost felt bad for snapping at him-almost. "I don't know." he said, "I just have this feeling that I wouldn't be able to hurt you. God only know why not."
I will not tell you how good that made me feel for no flippin' reason. "Plus," he added, "I helped you fight that thing. If I wanted to hurt you, why would I help?" he asked. Dammit, he had a good point.
"Fine, maybe it really way a dream," I said, but I had a feeling I was slightly off.
"So...why would that thing attack you?" he asked me.
"I don't know, but when you came, it looked like it had settled for me when it really wanted you, and then you show up and it's its birthday." I said.
"So it wasn't only me who noticed that...." Fang muttered. "I wish we knew what that thing was."he sighed.
"Me too." I said.
"So, Max, where are you from?" Fang asked me. Was he making small talk? Him? Even after all I had seen today, that was weird.
But I responded with, "Detroit, Michigan."
He nodded, "What made you decide to move to Bristol?" he asked.
"What is this, twenty questions?" I asked mockingly. I felt comfortable around him, too comfortable, and it was creepy, but I couldn't help it.
Fang sighed, "No, it's called, get to know the girl you just saved to find out if she was worth saving." he said with a straight face.
I pushed him off the curb we were sitting on, and he laughed as he went down. A real, natural laugh, and it warmed my heart. Ew, did I just say that? I have got to be sick of something. His laughing abruptly stopped, and he sat back next to me with a confused expression on his face, almost as if even he couldn't believe he had laughed. This only made me laugh.
Fang's head quickly moved to stare at me, "What's so funny?" he asked.
"You're face." I said.
"My face?" he asked, and his face turned confused, which only made me laugh harder.
"Yes, your face. It was funny for a second." I said while laughing. Fang looked at me as if he was thinking Maybe she's going into shock. I stopped laughing, and stood up, "Well, I have to go." I sighed.
Fang stood also, "I'll walk you." he said.
"No way," I said quickly, "I don't need a baby sitter."
"Then don't think of it as if I'm baby sitting you. Think of it as a friend making sure another friend arrives home safely, especially after said friend was just attacked by a UFO." He said.
For whatever stupid reason that I could not think of, this made me blush, then I asked, "UFO?"
"Unidentified Freaky Object." Fang answered with a slight smile as we started to walk.
We walked in a comfortable silence until we got to my house, "Thanks." I said, turning to Fang, "See you at school tomorrow." I said.
"Sure." Fang said, then he turned and left as I opened the door to my house, butterfiles in my stomach. Why? Hell if I know anymore.
When I entered the house, Nudge was on me in three seconds flat. I guess I was out longer than I thought, and she and Iggy had already made it home. "Max, Max, Max!" she said excitedly, "Who was that out there? Is he your boyfriend? Were you on a date with him? Did you ditch us to be with him? Why would you do that Max? You could have told us about him, and we would-" she started to say, but then, thankfully, Iggy's hand clamped over her mouth.
"Were you out there with...Fang?" Iggy asked me.
"Um, yeah, you have a problem with that?" I asked.
"Yeah. He's bad news Max. He moved here a couple of years ago. No one knows for sure why, and he hardly ever talks. He skips all the time, and some say he has a chair with is name on it in eht principal's office." Iggy answered.
"Oh, because your one to talk Mr. 'I Can Blow Up Pudding'." I said sarcasticly.
Iggy just glared, then my mom called from the kitchen, "Dinner!"
We all raced to the kitchen like a pack of starving dogs with one steak.
"Mom," Iggy said as soon as we were all served-mashed potatoes and meatloaf-my favorite.
"Yes, Iggy?" My mom replied.
"Max is dating a bad guy." he told her. That jerk-face.
"Max," my mom said sternly, turning to me, "Is this true?"
"No." I answered. This was perfectly true. I wasn't dating Fang, even if the thought sent those stupid butterflies attacking my stomach.
"But Max, why did I see him walking you home?" Nudge asked.
"We bumped into each other. We started talking, and he walked me home. That's it." I said.
My mom still looked slightly suspisious, but-thankfully-she dropped the subject, and we finished our dinner.
After dinner I headed to my room. I took my journal out of my desk. It was a regular spiral-bound notebook, but I treasured it. This was where I kept the songs that I wrote. Nobody know it exists, and I like to keep it that way. I've never sang any of them, even if I can sing. I just...didn't want to. With my journal in hand, I sat criss-crossed on my bed. There had been a song in my head for a while, and I wrote it down:
I don't know what I want
So don't ask me
Cause I'm still tryin' to figure it out
Don't know what's down this road
I'm just walkin'
Tryin' to see through the rain comin' down
Even though I'm not the only one who
Feels
The way I do
I'm alone
On my own
And that's all I know
I'll be strong
I'll be wrong
Oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm just a girl
Tryin' to find a place in this world
Got the radio on
My old blue jeans
And I'm wearin' my heart on my sleeve
Feeling lucky today
Got the sunshine
Baby, tell me what more do I need
And tomorrow's just a mystery
Oh, yeah
But that's ok
I'm alone
On my own
And that's all I know
I'll be strong
I'll be wrong
Oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm just a girl
Tryin' to find a place in this world
Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission
But I'm ready to fly
I'm alone
On my own
And that's all I know
Oh, I'll be strong
I'll be wrong
Oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm alone
On my own
And that's all I know
Oh, I'm just a girl
Tryin' to find a place in this world
Oh, I'm just a girl
Oh, I'm just a girl
Oh, I'm just a girl
(A place in this world by Taylor Swift)
I felt that song mentioned how I felt now. I felt small and insignificant, and like I have a part, but I don't know how to play it. I fell asleep that night these confused thoughts running through my mind.
Fang POV:
Ok, so on the bright side Max will allow me to be by her side, protecting her even if she doesn't know that's why I'm there. The downside: I hurt all over. When I leaped to the side and away from the giant...thing we saw in the alley, I landed in some scrap wood pieces. Max didn't know because her eyes were fixed on the thing, and I didn't want to worry her or anything, but dang it! Wood is hard, and falling in a pile of it really hurts.
But my family didn't know why I would be hurt, so I had to act like nothing was wrong all through dinner. And it was just my luck that today Gazzy wanted to wrestle. I wrestled him, and I won't tell you how hard it was not yelling when he body slammed me, because normally that didn't hurt too much, and I had to keep up the charade.
Luckily now I am in my room My room has black walls, black carpet, a dark brown-almost black-desk in one corner, and my bed which has white sheets. I really like my room, it's the only place where I don't have to hide. So as soon as I stepped in, I started walking really really slow. But, despite the monster-thing, and falling onto a pile of wood, and almost dying, I've had a good afternoon. I mean, I got to hang out with Max without her hating me, and that meant more to me than I ever thought it would. I laughed. I don't laugh. Ever. But it was just so easy to laugh with Max, I wanted to. I don't know what's come over me, but I'm not sure I want it to go away. If I go back to how I was before...well, I was the epiphony of lonely then, but now...I feel like I can open up more, start putting up less walls....
And that scares me more than the thing in the alley. Me, opening up more? The things that could happen are endless. I don't want to give anybody that kind of power over me. But I've know Max for a couple of days, and I'm laughing with her? She already has too much power over me, and yet I'm not sure if I even want to take it back. It-it felt so natural, so right. But the thing I'm most afraid of has happened before, and I don't really want to give anybody the chance to do it again....
I can't think of this stuff right now, after what happened in the alley, I feel so much more vulerable. That's a feeling I've been trying to beat down since it happened. And Max is bringing that feeling back out. Maybe I should stay away from her...no, I can't she could get hurt. So, it is with these thoughts, these scary thoughts, that I get into my black flannel night pants-no shirt, I feel very clastraphobic if I have a shirt on while I sleep-and go to sleep.
AN: OMG guys! I did it! A whole five pages! I am going to try to get to ten, but for know...five pages! Tell me what you think. Also, if you have any ideas, please tell me, it makes writing so much easier if I don't have to sit for an eternity and try to figure out something. I need ideas because that was one of my last and I have some writers block. R&R please!
